[sprite190582 (OP)]

In October 2003 someone drove in to the back of me. I was taken to hospital on a spinal board but was told I only had whiplash (thankfully). My GP referred me for physio and the physio told me that my top left rib was out of place. I have had 2 months of manipulation to get it back in the right place, which it now is but I still have altered sensation in my left are and hand. It feels like I have a glove on my hand all the time, I can’t feel things properly when I pick them up and I keep dropping things. My physio says it should get better but he hasn’t told me what it is and will it really get better? And what has caused it? I had CIDP in 2000 but made a full recovery could it all be related?

Alex

[NakedScientist]

Hello Alex

sorry to hear about your problems. CIDP (chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy) is caused by breakdown of the myelin sheath surrounding nerve fibres which leads to weakness and impaired sensation in the arms and legs. It is an autoimmune condition whereby the immune system mistakes healthy myelin for a foreign tissue and mounts a destructive response. Hence the condition responds to immunsuppressive therapy, and immunoglobulin.

The condition runs an unpredictable course with some individuals experiencing a single bout followed by spontaneous recovery, whilst in other people it follows a relapsing and remitting course.

Unfortunately you don't go into any detail about how you hand problems relate to your neck injury such as whether one noticeably followed the other. However, I would be surprised if your CIDP was affecting just one hand. It is usually a 'symmetrical' disease, affecting both sides of the body.

TNS

[sprite190582 (OP)]

Thanks for your reply. I am only assuming that the altered sensation in my hand is connected to my neck injury. The physio I saw said that where my upper left rib was knocked out of place it was pressing on the nerves to my hand and although my rib is now back in the correct place my nerves may still be damaged and take several months to completely recover. I had CIDP in 2000 after having a burst appendix and nasty post op infection. I do not know much about CIDP, I was always scared to look it up! And when I did look it up it just confused me. (My scientific knowledge only goes to A level Biology and Chemistry and that was a few years ago) Could the CIDP come back several times during my life then?

Alex

[chris]

Is the previous diagnosis CIDP for sure ? Did that come from a neurologist ? With reference to the above, CIDP can occur once and then remit, but in many individuals it waxes and wanes with slowly progresive effect. I'd like to know for sure that you definitely did have CIDP. As you didn't give any history it's impossible to say. Were you admitted to intensive care with your appendix problem ? It wasn't 'critical care' neuropathy was it ?

Chris

"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception"
 - Groucho Marx

[sprite190582 (OP)]

I had my appendix removed and was fine for 2/3 days then I got a nasty infection in the wound. I was discharged from hospital be readmitted by my GP 5 days after the operation. I started to feel weak, my legs tingling and herd to so-ordinate. I had a CT scan, a test where they put things on your legs and try and make them twitch, I think it was called a nerve conduction test but I'm not sure. Then I had a needle put in my spine and they tested the liquid they got out (I had 4 of these in total). I was given drugs, one was a drug that suppressed my immune system which made me feel really ill I also had a transfusion of some kind, but it was not a blood transfusion. I ended up staying in hospitals for 21 weeks. I was in my local hospital but was transferred after about the first two week to a different hospital (Southampton). I had loads and loads of physio and would possible say that I still have a slight weakness in my left leg but not totally sure. As far as I am aware it was a sure diagnosis of CIDP but I was only 17/18 and too scared to pay much notice to what the doctors were saying.

Alex

[NakedScientist]

Hello Alex

sorry to hear about your problems. CIDP (chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy) is caused by breakdown of the myelin sheath surrounding nerve fibres which leads to weakness and impaired sensation in the arms and legs. It is an autoimmune condition whereby the immune system mistakes healthy myelin for a foreign tissue and mounts a destructive response. Hence the condition responds to immunsuppressive therapy, and immunoglobulin.

The condition runs an unpredictable course with some individuals experiencing a single bout followed by spontaneous recovery, whilst in other people it follows a relapsing and remitting course.

Unfortunately you don't go into any detail about how you hand problems relate to your neck injury such as whether one noticeably followed the other. However, I would be surprised if your CIDP was affecting just one hand. It is usually a 'symmetrical' disease, affecting both sides of the body.

TNS

[sprite190582 (OP)]

Thanks for your reply. I am only assuming that the altered sensation in my hand is connected to my neck injury. The physio I saw said that where my upper left rib was knocked out of place it was pressing on the nerves to my hand and although my rib is now back in the correct place my nerves may still be damaged and take several months to completely recover. I had CIDP in 2000 after having a burst appendix and nasty post op infection. I do not know much about CIDP, I was always scared to look it up! And when I did look it up it just confused me. (My scientific knowledge only goes to A level Biology and Chemistry and that was a few years ago) Could the CIDP come back several times during my life then?

Alex

[chris]

Is the previous diagnosis CIDP for sure ? Did that come from a neurologist ? With reference to the above, CIDP can occur once and then remit, but in many individuals it waxes and wanes with slowly progresive effect. I'd like to know for sure that you definitely did have CIDP. As you didn't give any history it's impossible to say. Were you admitted to intensive care with your appendix problem ? It wasn't 'critical care' neuropathy was it ?

Chris

"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception"
 - Groucho Marx

[sprite190582 (OP)]

I had my appendix removed and was fine for 2/3 days then I got a nasty infection in the wound. I was discharged from hospital be readmitted by my GP 5 days after the operation. I started to feel weak, my legs tingling and herd to so-ordinate. I had a CT scan, a test where they put things on your legs and try and make them twitch, I think it was called a nerve conduction test but I'm not sure. Then I had a needle put in my spine and they tested the liquid they got out (I had 4 of these in total). I was given drugs, one was a drug that suppressed my immune system which made me feel really ill I also had a transfusion of some kind, but it was not a blood transfusion. I ended up staying in hospitals for 21 weeks. I was in my local hospital but was transferred after about the first two week to a different hospital (Southampton). I had loads and loads of physio and would possible say that I still have a slight weakness in my left leg but not totally sure. As far as I am aware it was a sure diagnosis of CIDP but I was only 17/18 and too scared to pay much notice to what the doctors were saying.

Alex